527 – The Distance Between Parent and Child, and the Diorama.

“Hmm... This is hard…”

“What is, exactly?”

It seemed Linze, who happened to be knitting beside me, heard the words I muttered to myself.

Well, it's not like I was trying to hide it or anything.

“It’s about Kuon.”

“Kuon? Did something happen?”

“No, it’s the opposite. It’s like... nothing’s happening.”

I don’t know how to put it—compared to the other kids, he just doesn’t seem to open up much. It’s not so bad with Yumina, but with me, he always seems a little distant, like he’s being polite with a stranger.

“I mean, it might be a bit odd if a boy were totally clingy with his father…”

“Yeah, well... I get that.”

How was it with me when I was a kid? Both my parents were always busy, so I mostly played with Grandpa.

And now, here I am, having trouble with my own son, who happens to share Grandpa’s name. Life sure is unpredictable.

“Why not try playing with him or something? I read in a book that parents and kids on Earth play catch together.”

“Catch, huh…”

It’s not a bad idea to play catch, but... then what? Are we supposed to talk while doing it? Say something like, ‘How’ve you been lately?’ But knowing Kuon, he’d probably reply, ‘How have I been? There haven’t been any notable changes,’ with a straight face.

Honestly, I don’t know much about Kuon at all. Like, what food he likes, or what his hobbies are. Normally, you'd learn that gradually as they grow up, but in our case, our son just suddenly appeared.

I guess the first step is to learn more about him. Alright, let’s start by asking his older sisters.

◇　◇　◇

“Kuon’s favorite foods? Let’s see... Maybe chilled tofu or chikuzen-ni (chicken and vegetable stew). Oh, and he really likes matsutake clear soup too.”

“That’s so mature!”

I tried asking Asia about Kuon’s favorite foods, and got answers that didn’t sound like something a child would say at all.

Isn’t that the kind of food old people like? I mean, that’s just the image I get.

At home, we eat a mix of Japanese and Western food, but since I’m a fan of rice, it usually leans more toward Japanese cuisine.

So, it’s not entirely surprising that Kuon ended up liking it too... But still, don’t kids usually go for things like hamburger steak or curry?

“What about foods he doesn’t like?”

“He doesn’t really have any. That boy quietly eats anything that’s served. Ah, though he’s not very fond of Xenoas’ local dishes or anything with an overly strong taste.”

Xenoas’ local dishes… Oh, that stuff. I tried it once—it had some kind of eyeballs floating in a purple soup. It was bitter and salty and just... wrong. Tasted like a battery, if that makes any sense.

Calling that just “not fond of” feels like a huge understatement. Eating that whole thing might be a health hazard.

Anyway, I thanked Asia and headed to Elna next. I figured she’s close in age to Kuon and might know something. Huh? You think Linne’s actually closer in age? Well, yeah, but... Linne’s kind of, you know, too rough around the edges. There’s a good chance she wouldn’t catch the point of this conversation.

Elna was reading a book on the window bench in the castle. Her mother, Elze, was leaning against the window with a book open, fast asleep. As a wife, that sleeping face is just a little disappointing. Elna didn’t seem to care and kept reading.

Looks like she was reading with Elna and just dozed off.

“Things Kuon likes...? He’s into animals. He talks to cats a lot.”

“Wait, Kuon can talk to cats?”

He has that kind of ability? Does his eye allow for that? I think I remember something about controlling animals or something like that.

“No, he has Kohaku interpret for him. Using simple signals, they manage to communicate. In future Brunhilde, there were tons of cats, and most of them knew who Kuon was.”

Wait a minute, is my son... the King of Cats?

No, wait—Kohaku is like the King of Cats already. So, if Kohaku is looking after Kuon, then to the cats, Kuon is... even higher than a king? An emperor? The Cat Emperor?

Just to be clear, I am Kohaku’s master.

“He also talks to birds a lot...”

“Ah, that must be with Kogyoku.”

In Brunhilde, cats and birds serve as the eyes and ears. Everything they see and hear gets relayed to Kohaku and Kogyoku, then passed on to Prime Minister Kousaka-san, Captain of the Knights Rain-san, and Head of Intelligence Tsubaki-san.

Of course, they’re only told about suspicious people or criminal activity. If there's a sudden incident or accident, the cats or birds rush or fly over to the knights’ post to report it.

“So Kuon likes animals, huh...”

“It’s not just that he likes them. I think he enjoys talking to them.”

“He likes to talk? He didn’t seem like the talkative type...”

Saying he likes talking to animals feels kind of... weird. I mean, it’s not a bad thing, right? It’s not like he hates people or anything.

“He said seeing things from an animal’s point of view is important to make Brunhilde a better place. There are tiny things that humans don’t notice, but animals do. And knowing that helps him support you and the others.”

“What a good kid!!”

Damn, I’m tearing up. I tilt my head back and press my fingers against the corners of my eyes. He’s still so young, and yet he’s already thinking of how to support his parents… What an amazing child! As expected of me and Yumina’s son…!

“You’re so noisy... What’s with all the fuss?”

Apparently, my heartfelt reaction woke up Elze. When I told her I’d been asking Elna about Kuon, Elze—still looking a bit sleepy—suddenly hugged Elna tightly.

“M-Mom?”

“Kuon is wonderful, but Elna is also sweet and kind. She was studying just now, for the sake of this country.”

“Eh? Really?”

When I glanced at the book Elna had in her hands, looking a bit bashful, I saw that it was a professional medical text Leen had brought back from Earth, translated into this world’s language by Fam from the “Library.”

It had something like “Introductory Edition” written on it, but even so, it wasn’t the kind of thing a child would usually read with such delight.

“I-I just thought maybe I could help out Papa and Mama somehow… Since I can use healing magic and Recovery, I wondered if I might be able to help with medical stuff…”

“What a good girl!”

“Right!?”

At my shout, Elze jumped in, clearly sharing my sentiment. I patted Elna’s head, who was being hugged by Elze. She really is such a kind and good girl. Elna might end up running Brunhilde’s clinic in the future.

Ah, wait, if she gets married, will she leave the country…? Ah, I’m gonna cry.

Catching a glimpse of a bittersweet future, I thanked Elna to cover up my feelings and walked away.

Anyway, I should try talking to her directly. Maybe we could even go hang out somewhere together.

　　　　　　　　　　◇　◇　◇

“S-So, how’ve you been lately?”

“How, you ask? Nothing’s particularly changed.”

Damn it! he gave me a straight, plain answer after all!

I called Kuon out to the baseball stadium, hoping to say something heart-thumping while watching the game—only to get exactly the response I expected.

It feels like I threw a probing pitch only to get it smashed into a home run.

The game being played is between two teams from our local shopping district. It’s a weekday and not a match between the national knight corps or anything, so the crowd is sparse. In fact, the spectator stands where we’re sitting are nearly empty.

Our baseball field is open to anyone as long as they pay the usage fee. So, like today, baseball enthusiasts often gather during weekdays to play matches. And people with free time drop by to watch. Spectating is free, after all.

I thought it’d be a good place to talk without being interrupted, but stumbling on my first line, I was desperately trying to figure out what to do next.

“Umm, are you lacking anything? Having any trouble?”

“Not particularly. I think everything’s fine. Ah, he just hit the ball.”

Ugh… He’s giving me nothing to work with. Calmly watching the game like that…

Damn it, I can’t back down here. I need to keep the conversation going!

“Uhh… Kuon, do you have any hobbies or anything?”

“Hobbies? Well, I suppose I do… kind of.”

Oh? Maybe there’s something? I mean, I don’t really have any big hobbies either—if I had to say, maybe music or watching movies. He’s my son, after all, so we might have some in common. If we do, the conversation might pick up.

“I wouldn’t call it a hobby, exactly… but I like building models.”

“Sorry, what?”

Building models? Like plastic models or dioramas and stuff?

“Yes. I used to build them a lot for a change of pace. Um, things like this.”

Kuon pulled a smartphone from his pocket and showed me an album of photos.

In the photo, sailing ships were lined up at a harbor, seemingly about to set sail. …Huh? Something feels off… Wait, hold on a second!? This is… a model!?

“Wait, this is a model!?”

“Yes. That’s right. I made it about a year ago.”

A year ago… you were five, right!? You made something like this at that age!?

The ship leaving port, the rippling sea, and the people unloading cargo at the dock—everything looked exactly like the real thing. If someone told me it was made by a professional modeler, I’d believe it.

Well, not that I’ve ever seen a professional modeler’s work before, so I have nothing to compare it to.

“I used a few magic tools to make some of the parts, though.”

Apparently, most of the magic tools used in this project were made by Kun.

I don’t know much about it, but I’ve heard even in real diorama or model building, people use electric tools and stuff, so maybe it’s not that unusual. What’s more impressive is Kuon’s ability to master those tools.

When I told him that…

“Is that so? But Chichiue can make similar things using Modeling, right?”

“Well, mine is more like using my own skills…”

I couldn’t help but trail off at Kuon’s words. This is where our ways of thinking just don’t line up.

On Earth, since there’s no magic, whatever skill you learn is purely your own effort. If you use magic to do it, it kind of feels like cheating.

But to people who live in this world, magic is part of their own strength, and using it skillfully is a demonstration of their abilities. It’s not cheating—it’s recognized as true skill.

Sure, I think I’ve improved compared to when I first started using Modeling, but in terms of pure craftsmanship, I don’t think I can match Kuon’s diorama.

Even Babylon’s “Workshop” can make similar things, but of course, those lack any handmade feel…

Still, it’s incredibly well done. If he entered something like Earth’s diorama contests, I bet he could win top prizes.

"Ah, that's right."

I suddenly remembered something and projected some images I searched for with “diorama” from my smartphone in front of Kuon. Various diorama images floated in the air.

"Wow! These are so detailed! Oh, this one of a submerged town is really interesting...!"

Kuon leaned in toward the screen with a cheerful smile. It felt like I was seeing a childlike side of him for the first time. Come to think of it, I also used to build plastic models when I was a kid. They weren’t anything this elaborate—no painting involved, just simple assembly.

"You haven’t made any since coming here?"

"Ah... well, I’ve been kind of busy... Plus, you need a lot of materials and tools to make them."

According to what he told me, you need things like resin from a certain tree monster and an adhesive-like substance from a special type of slime. Then there are brushes, spatulas, and all kinds of tools, too.

It seems like he left everything he had in the future behind in his room at the castle.

"Alright, then let’s gather the materials."

"Huh? Wait, it’s kind of a hassle, you know? Some are only found far away, and others are rare species..."

"It’s fine, it’s fine. If I use [Gate] and [Search], it’ll be a piece of cake."

I’m pretty sure there were similar tools in Professor's “Vault.”

Once we collect the materials, he should be able to get to work, right? Oh, he’ll need paint too. In the Holy Kingdom of Arent, they’re known for drawing spirit paintings and stuff, so I bet they’ve got plenty of art supplies.

"Alright, no time like the present. Let’s go!"

"Wait, um, but..."

Grabbing the hesitant Kuon’s hand, I opened a [Gate] and jumped from a quiet stand to the Holy Kingdom of Arent.

◇ ◇ ◇

The art supply store in the Holy Kingdom of Arent had an amazing selection: all sorts of brushes and paints in subtle shades—everything you could want.

I told Kuon he could buy whatever he wanted, but he still seemed a bit reserved, so I decided to commission a diorama from him myself.

In other words, this is a job. I can’t have him making something half-baked. That’s why I told him to go all out and not hold back.

Once I said that, he finally seemed to accept it.

"So, what should I make?"

"Huh? Ah, um, let’s see... How about our castle?"

"Brunhilde Castle, then."

I didn’t really have anything specific in mind, so I just blurted that out, but Kuon nodded once and immediately started putting art supplies into a basket from the store.

He picked items one after another without hesitation. At this point, he probably already had the entire blueprint for the diorama mapped out in his head.

After we bought a bunch of stuff from the art supply store, Kuon sent me a memo from his smartphone via email.

"Adhesive slime bodily fluid, cushion turtle shell, elder treant bark...?"

I had no idea what those were for, but apparently they were essential.

For the time being, I sent Kuon to Babylon’s “Vault” and asked the manager, Parshe, to help find the tools he needed.

While he was doing that, I went around the Adventurer’s Guild to collect the materials Kuon needed. Unfortunately, the cushion turtle shell was out of stock, so I had to go hunt one down myself.

I didn’t need any parts besides the shell, so I sold the rest of the materials off.

Still, this shell is pretty soft, kind of like memory foam. It probably resists blunt damage well. I ended up defeating it with slashing damage, though.

When I got back to the castle, a base about the size of one tatami mat had already been assembled in the center of the room assigned to Kuon.

That was fast!?

"Uh, I brought the materials you needed..."

"Ah, please just set them down over there."

Kuon was wearing something like a dust mask and goggles, roughly shaving down the placed base material with a magic tool that looked like a grinder. He was probably working on the ground.

I placed the gathered materials in the corner of the room and watched Kuon's work.

As Kuon worked briskly and without hesitation, I, having nothing to do, asked if there was anything I could help with. He asked me to dip the Cushion Turtle's shell into various green paints, let them dry, and then tear them into small pieces.

Since I'd be in the way here, I moved to the courtyard. After finishing the task as instructed and returning, Kuon had already completed most of the roads and moats around the castle.

“Ah, Touya-san.”

Yumina was sitting on the sofa in Kuon’s room. Kohaku was beside her.

“I came to call you for dinner and was surprised to find something like this being made. I didn’t know this child had such a hobby.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen it too. Though calling it a hobby feels like an understatement given the level.”

Maybe he got really into making dioramas again after a long time—Kuon was so immersed he didn’t even stop to eat. So, I asked Asia to prepare rice balls and sandwiches he could eat while working, and had them brought to the room.

Ideally, we should’ve forced him to the dining hall, but if he just scarfed down food quickly, it wouldn’t do any good either.

“Once Kuon gets focused, he doesn’t stop. If you don’t make him stop at a good point, he’ll definitely pull an all-nighter.”

Hearing Frey say that, I knew I couldn’t ignore it. So, once it passed ten o’clock, I forcibly made him stop. Maybe it’s this ability to focus that built his talent and skill.

For now, I had Yumina take him to the adjacent bedroom to sleep. The rest would be for the morning.

The diorama was already taking on a rough shape. Processes that would normally take time were being shortened using magic.

But it’s really well-made... I didn’t expect that sponge-like thing I tore up would turn into tree leaves and shrubs.

This grass on the ground looks real too… Are these actual plants? Moss maybe? I can’t tell.

I wanted to touch it, but if I broke it, Kuon would probably be mad, so I held back.

Looking forward to the finished product, I left the room.

　　　　　　　　◇　◇　◇

When the cloth covering it was removed, there was a collective “Ooh!” of amazement from those around.

The completed diorama of Brunhilde Castle was placed in a glass case in the castle lobby for display. Today was its unveiling.

Kuon’s meticulously crafted diorama was so amazing that it felt like a waste to just leave it in a room.

With it like this, all visitors would be able to see it.

Everyone was fascinated by the diorama Kuon made.

“Wow, it’s detailed down to the smallest parts!”

“This is insane... Even His Majesty the Duke and the Queen are in it!”

Yes, the diorama even had miniatures of us placed inside. Yae, Hilda, and Elze were fighting in the training grounds, while Linze, Leen, and Sakura were having tea or knitting on the balcony.

Yumina, Sue, and I were eating the many lunchboxes Luu had laid out under the cherry blossoms blooming in the courtyard.

There were also figures of Karen-neesan and the Prime Minister Kousaka-san, along with many other castle residents, all positioned in different areas.

Everyone was glued to the glass case, eyes wide as saucers, trying to find themselves.

While watching that scene, I spoke to the creator’s son standing beside me.

“You really went into detail here, huh.”

“Well, that’s kind of my thing. I want to be able to create something that looks real down to the smallest detail, while also showing my own style.”

A passion, huh. I suppose it’s important to creators, but still—making models of everyone in the castle seems a bit overboard.

Well, if it made everyone happy, then I guess it was worth it.

“Can you teach me how to make one sometime?”

“Huh? But Father, don’t you have [Modeling]?”

“I want to try making one without using magic. Just like you, Kuon.”

“...If you're okay with me teaching.”

Kuon nodded a bit shyly. Maybe we’ve gotten a little closer.

What should I make under Kuon’s guidance? I guess I should start by learning to make trees. Ah, maybe making a miniature of the magic train would be fun too.

Or even expanding this castle to include the castle town… That’d be exciting.

Thinking such things, I gently patted my talented son's head.